Aberdeen have recently scouted Ghana for potential signing targets, manager Jim Goodwin has confirmed.
Head of recruitment Darren Mowbray was in the West African nation to watch a number of players.
Goodwin also confirmed Mowbray has travelled to Atlanta with the Dons in a bid to strengthen the club’s scouting network in the United States.
Mowbray has watched players in almost 20 European counties since Goodwin was appointed manager in February in the search for talent.
Now the Dons’ globe-trotting recruitment guru is travelling to other continents in the bid to bring talent to Pittodrie.
Mowbray is responsible for unearthing leading scorer Bojan Miovksi and midfielder Ylber Ramadani from Hungarian club MTK Budapest.
Secured for £535,000 until summer 2026, Miovski is the Premiership’s joint-leading scorer.
French top-flight side Stade de Reims are reportedly lining up a £4 million January transfer bid for the striker.
Mowbray also played key role in sourcing striker Luis “Duk” Lopes, who had starred for Benfica B.
Aberdeen have a week-long training camp in the USA.
Goodwin said: “Darren (Mowbray) was in Ghana a few weeks ago looking at one or two talented players.
“He is with us in the United States and will speak to Atlanta’s recruitment team and see how they do things.
“Darren has played an important role this season.”
The Ghanaian Academy blueprint
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack previously revealed he has studied a Ghanaian Academy and Danish top-flight club as a blueprint for developing big money talent.
Cormack confirmed he has looked towards Ghana-based Right to Dream Academy and Danish Superliga FC Nordsjaelland.
Danish top-flight FC Nordsjaelland were bought by the Ghana-based Right to Dream Academy in 2015.
Right to Dream is a football Academy founded in Ghana by former Manchester City youth coach Tom Vernon in 1999.
In January 2021, Right to Dream secured a €100m investment from Egyptian conglomerate The Mansour Group.
The partnership between Right to Dream and FC Nordjaelland has brought in tens of millions in transfer fees.
FC Nordsjaelland have sold rising Ghanaian stars, secured from Right to Dream, for almost more than £30 million in recent seasons.
Teenage wing sensation Kameldeen Sulemana moved from the Right to Dream to Nordsjaelland in January 2020 on a five-year contract.
The 19-year-old smashed the Danish transfer record with a €21m (£18.4m) transfer to French top-flight side Rennes in summer 2021.
Ghanaian midfielder Mohammad Kudus arrived at Nordsjaelland when 18 years old from Right to Dream in January 2018.
Kudus was then sold to Dutch giants Ajax for €9m (£7.9m) in July 2021.
GOAAAAAL!!!!! @KudusMohammedGH https://t.co/xMH9Z1nUAy
— Right to Dream (@right2dream) November 1, 2022
This summer Premier League Brighton signed winger Simon Adingra, 20, in a £6m transfer from FC Nordsjaelland.
Adingra had also been signed from Right to Dream by the Danish club.
Mowbray to meet Atlanta recruitment team
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin also believes the United States market can be a source for talent for the Granite City outfit.
Mowbray will meet with Atlanta’s recruitment team during the week-long trip.
The Dons signed Christian Ramirez, Reds top scorer last season, from MLS side Houston Dynamo in summer 2021.
Ramirez was Aberdeen’s top marksman last season with 16 goals, but has fallen out of the starting XI behind Miovski and Duk.
Aberdeen also sold Venezuelan international Ronald Hernandez to Atlanta United, the Dons’ strategic partners, following a loan spell.
Goodwin said: “The MLS for me is a league that is continually improving and has done dramatically in the last five seasons.
“The quality of players has improved as has the standard of the league.
“Logistically, it is not the easiest place to get to and there are a lot of finances involved.
“Darren (Mowbray) has mainly been in Europe since I arrived.
“They (Atlanta United) might do things a little differently from how we do it, whether that is medically or some training exercises, the sports science etc.
“All the different departments will sit down and have meetings and see if we can bounce some ideas off each other.”
Building relationships with Atlanta
Aberdeen will play a friendly match against an Atlanta United XI at the MLS club’s training ground on Wednesday.
Kick-off is 3pm local time (8pm UK time).
Aberdeen and Atlanta United entered into their strategic partnership in November 2019.
However, the Covid pandemic hit globally just months later.
Goodwin said: “A lot of the players haven’t been to America before.
“I have never been and I’m looking forward to meeting all the people at Atlanta United.
“There has been a relationship between the two clubs for a number of years.
“However, Covid has curtailed opportunities for either club to get back and forth to build those relationships. “
✈️ Checked-in at @ABZ_Airport.
Next stop 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/eaT2HqcPtI
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) November 14, 2022
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